City manager says Worcester prepared to tackle slots project

Wednesday

Apr 3, 2013 at 6:00 AMApr 3, 2013 at 2:31 PM

By Nick Kotsopoulos TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

City Manager Michael V. O'Brien says his administration is “more than prepared” to meet and exceed expectations in addressing all requirements associated with the proposal to develop a slots parlor at the 14-acre Wyman-Gordon property on Madison Street.

In a related matter, the joint City Council committee conducting public hearings on the slot parlor proposal has scheduled a second hearing for 7 p.m. on April 17.

That hearing, which will be held in City Hall, is intended to have members of the city administration respond to questions and concerns raised by the public Monday night at its first public hearing, to be held at the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre, according to District 5 Councilor William J. Eddy, co-chairman of the joint committee.

Mr. Eddy said among those city officials who will be invited to attend are representatives of the police, fire, public works and public health departments.

Mr. O'Brien told the City Council Tuesday night the reality of the gaming proposal for the city, in relation to the schedule that has been established by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, provides for a compressed timeline to get things done.

As a result, he said, his administration must take great care that the compressed schedule in no way limits the city's thorough due diligence and tough negotiating to produce the very best outcomes for the community.

“We are more than prepared to meet and exceed that expectation,” Mr. O'Brien told the council.

Mass Gaming & Entertainment LLC, one of four applicants for the only slots license that will be awarded by the state, recently announced its selection of the Wyman-Gordon property as the location for its “destination gaming facility.”

Mr. O'Brien said the Gaming Commission is in the process of reviewing the suitability of the applicants seeking a Category 2 license to run a slots parlor.

He said the commission has referenced May as the earliest likely date when the suitability of the applicants would be decided.

The manager said he will soon begin negotiating a host agreement with Mass Gaming & Entertainment that includes, but is not limited to, the gaming facility's design, form, function, mitigation of its impacts to include such areas as public safety, public works, public health, economic development and neighborhood quality of life.

“This process will require the city team as well as specialized expertise to negotiate in good faith with this applicant,” the manager said. “I expect to engage this required expertise shortly.”

Mr. O'Brien said the completion of a negotiated host community agreement and the execution of the agreement would then begin the process for the required referendum in which voters would decide the gaming question. He outlined the process as follows:

A request to the governing body (City Council and city manager) for an election shall take place after the signing of an agreement between the host community and the applicant.

The council and manager call for the election to be held on a date not less than 60 days and not more than 90 days after the request for an election was received.

The council must decide whether to “opt out” of the provision limiting the election to the ward in which the gaming establishment is proposed and thereby make it a citywide election. The council has already indicated it wants to hold a citywide referendum on the gaming question.

The city clerk sets the actual date of the election within the 60-90 day window.

The city solicitor approves for publication a “concise summary” of the signed agreement between the host community and the applicant which must be published within a periodical of general circulation and on the city's website.

The applicant must reimburse the city for the cost of the election within 30 days after the election. However, if the election occurs on an otherwise scheduled election, the applicant is responsible only for that portion of the election expenses that related to the host community election.

Mr. Eddy said a big challenge likely to face the council is when to set the date for the election. He said it may want to avoid having it during the summer months when many people are away on vacation.

Mr. O'Brien, meanwhile, said the state Gaming Commission will likely seek final submission from Massachusetts approved gaming entities by October.

He said those submissions will included, but not be limited to signed host community agreements, final designs, and a voter approved referendum on the proposal.

“We are still working to clarify if the final submission will also need to include all other city and Commonwealth approvals on proposed land uses, zoning changes, street map modifications, etc.,” Mr. O'Brien said.

“These approvals have statutory timelines associated with them that will also need to be factored if they must be in place by the October submission,” he added

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